Hue Jackson had Raiders blocking like a bully

Everyone talks about the Raiders‘ speed and their coach’s commitment to “Building a Bully.” But the other thing clearly on display in Oakland’s 34-24 win over the New York Jets on Sunday and generally in its 2-1 start is the blocking. Not only up front on the offensive line, but downfield.

On Darren McFadden‘s 70-yard run, tight end Kevin Boss cleared out the edge, and then receivers Chaz Schilens and Derek Hagan made blocks well downfield to ensure McFadden reached the end zone. Not only has that been a point of emphasis, coach Hue Jackson said Monday, but it’s also another sign that the team is closing in on realizing the first-year coach’s overall vision.

“If you don’t have a ball on this football team, you’re a blocker,” Jackson said. “We talk about it all the time. Whether it’s a quarterback or anyone else. We gotta play for each other. We pull for each other, we play for each other – that’s one of the things we really talk about. We want to become a team, and in order to become a team everybody has to do their part.”

Boss says the coaches preach blocking every day.

“Just finishing every play,” he said. “It’s a team deal and to be able to see us do it in a game is rewarding, and to knock off 70-yard touchdown runs because everyone is doing their job is pretty fun.”

Hagan had an interesting perspective on the importance of receivers blocking defensive backs on running plays.

“Our man, a DB, should not be tackling a running back,” he said. “A running back should not have to worry about the DBs tackling them because most of the time when a safety or a corner wants to tackle a running back they’re trying to hit him below his kneecaps, and that’s something we definitely don’t want to happen.”

Fun debut: Boss, who missed the first two games because of a sprained knee, knew playing in front of a hyped-up Raiders crowd was going to be cool. Turns out he had no idea.

“Oh, it was awesome,” he said. “It was more than I even really expected. I told my family after the game it’s the most fun I’ve had in a football game in a long time.”

Besides the big block, Boss had two receptions for 36 yards, including a 28-yard catch that set up the Raiders’ first touchdown. Better yet, when the former Giant woke up Monday morning, his knee felt fine.

Signed as a free agent after the team lost tight end Zach Miller, Boss looks around at all the weapons the Raiders have on offense and shakes his head.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “We’ve still got (Louis) Murphy out and Jacoby (Ford) coming back, so I think the sky’s the limit for this offense.”

While there were no updates on the other injured players, Ford (hamstring) said he hopes to return this week, and that’s been the goal along.

Never forget: While Jackson said the loss to the Bills in Week 2 – and the 35 points given up in the second half – was behind the Raiders, linebacker Rolando McClain said he reminded the team about the loss at halftime of the Jets game. He told his teammates not to think that could happen again, and they had to finish plays and finish the game strong.

“What happened in Buffalo … we won’t forget it, we didn’t forget it,” McClain said. “We won’t forget it for a while. It was still fresh in our mind.”